New generations of communication terminals, in particular mobile radio terminals, PCs or laptops, generally have several different interfaces by which to gain access to different data networks. For example a notebook can have plug-in cards for GSM, wireless LAN and Bluetooth. These plug-in cards make it possible to access mobile radio communications networks, fixed networks and the Internet or other computers. Meanwhile, a plurality of providers produce both wireless and fixed line connections to the various data networks. These providers are mainly operators of fixed and mobile networks as well as various providers of Internet services who provide access to the Internet. These providers make use of different access technologies and differ both in terms of quality and with regard to price.
Users of data networks would like to select the appropriate network access for their requirements from the plurality of access providers on offer. The main factors in making their choice are price, the provider's services (e.g. e-mails, video streaming etc.) and the quality of the connection. Regarding quality, technically measurable parameters about the access provider, such as the data transfer rate, the data delay or the data loss, are decisive. However, subjective impressions are also significant, for instance the simplicity of the user interface for dialing into the data network. When using the data network to transmit speech or pictures, the audio or video quality also play an important role, as does the reliability of the network access.
Particularly in the case of mobile communication terminals, users are faced with the problem that wherever they happen to be they wish to use the optimum access service for their purposes. Ordinarily, users must make inquiries with different network providers or other end users. However, since users do not always have the time or the opportunity to inquire from other users or network providers, it is often difficult to select the optimum network access. Moreover, network providers very often measure their transmission quality internally, but do not release the data to end users. Furthermore this data is often not gathered according to objective criteria, and is therefore not so meaningful for users.
At the same time there are also centrally managed databases in which profiles of different network providers are stored. However, for the most part these databases do not include statements about the quality of the network access services. End users also have the option to access measurements and tests reported in the press (e.g. by consumer organizations or consumer magazines) as well as rating systems such as network assessments published on the Internet. It takes quite a long time to find out the optimum network access in this way and in many cases the assessments are not up-to-date.
From a document [1] a device and method for selecting network accesses in a telecommunication terminal are known. In said device and method all available network interfaces and network access providers are recorded. On the basis of the recorded data an optimum network access is selected by means of a selection device, in the course of which it is also possible to take account of criteria concerning price and network access quality. In order to select the network access, connections to the individual network providers are first of all set up so as to obtain information about the quality of each network access.
A document [2] discloses a method and a device for dynamically finding a network path in a computer-based network. In this case the data transmission costs of potential network paths are determined in response to a user request and the most cost-effective path is selected from these paths.